Elastic shirt collar button

ABSTRACT

A shirt having an expandable collar includes a shirt body having a front placket; a collar attached to the shirt body; and a plurality of buttons extending along the front placket including a top button that is positioned proximate the collar. The shirt body has a pocket formed proximate the collar and the top button is attached to a free first end of an expandable strip that is contained within the pocket and is fixedly attached at a second end to the shirt body within the pocket. The expandable strip is positionable between a fully retracted position in which the top button is proximate an opening of the pocket and a fully extended position in which the top button is spaced from the opening of the pocket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/336,976, filed May 16, 2016, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein as if expressly set forth in its respective entirety herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to collar band constructions for articles of clothing, and in particular, to an elastic shirt collar button that enables a user to wear a shirt that would be otherwise too small around the neck to wear.

BACKGROUND

Shirts having collars, e.g., dress shirts, are normally sold in sizes based upon the circumference of the collar and the length of the sleeves. Collar sizes typically vary in half inch increments, i.e., 15, 15½, 16, 16½ etc. A purchaser selects a shirt having a neck size nearest to the circumference of his neck, and when new the shirt generally fits comfortably. However, the shirt may shrink when it is laundered, resulting in the neck size not being as large as that originally selected. Additionally, the neck size of the person wearing the shirt may vary over a short period of time. Either or both of these circumstances can result in the collar being too tight about the person's neck, making it uncomfortable or even impossible to wear. As a result, when this occurs, the shirt, which may have only been used a few times, is left in a closet and the purchaser has not received the full benefit of the shirt purchase.

To address these issues, various solutions have been offered in the prior art. For instance, reinforced stitching can placed in the neckband during manufacture of the shirt, with the stitching extending generally transversely of the length of the neckband, and resembling the stitching around a button hole. If the collar becomes too tight for some reason, the fabric in the area bordered by the stitching can be cut, thereby enabling the neckband to expand slightly, effectively increasing the length of the neckband. The opening formed by cutting the material bordered by the reinforced stitching is disposed wholly within the neckband, and the top and bottom edges of the neckband remain unaffected. Thus, elongation of the neckband is limited due to the restraining effect of the stitching at the top and bottom edges of the neckband. Moreover, in order for the invention shown in this patent to be operative, it is necessary for the user to cut the fabric bordered by the reinforced stitching.

Other solutions to this problem rely upon some form of elastic material to permit the circumference of the collar to expand to accommodate to different neck sizes. However, these solutions provide an elastic material on one side of the collar and therefore, if the elastic material is stretched to permit the collar to be fastened close, there is a lack of proper alignment of the top button due to the elastic material being provided on one side.

Many of these prior art arrangements are relatively complicated and expensive to manufacture, and/or require specific action or manipulation by the user, and/or apply a constant compressive force to the neck.

Accordingly, there is need for a simple and economical means associated with the collar of a shirt to enable the size of the collar to automatically expand to compensate for shrinkage of the shirt and/or an increase in the neck size of the user.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a shirt with an elastic collar button is formed of a shirt body; a neckband; and a collar. The neckband is adapted to encircle a neck of a wearer and has upper and lower edges connected to the collar and to the shirt body, respectively.

An open pocket is defined between the neckband and the shirt body.

The shirt also includes an elastic collar button that is at least partially disposed within the open pocket and includes an elastic part that is attached to at least one of the neckband and the shirt body. At a free end of the elastic part, a button is provided for reception in a corresponding fixed button hole along the front placket.

These and other aspects, features and advantages shall be apparent from the accompanying Drawings and description of certain embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is side view of a portion of a shirt collar showing an extendable shirt collar button in accordance with the present invention in a fully retracted (rest) position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the shirt collar showing the extendable shirt collar button in an intermediate extended position (e.g., extended approximately 50%);

FIG. 3 is a side view of the shirt collar showing the extendable shirt collar button in a fully extended position; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the shirt collar showing the extended shirt collar button returned to the fully retracted position after removing the applied extension force.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with the present invention, a shirt 100 is shown in FIGS. 1-4. The shirt 100 has a neckband 120 that is sewn to a body 101 of the shirt 100; and a collar 130 that is sewn to the neckband 120.

The collar 130 can have a variety of shapes and styles. The collar 130 can be a pointed collar and is illustrated as secured to the neckband 120 (collar stand) having a placket front, although French fronts may also be used in practicing this invention. The neckband 120 is in turn secured to the shirt body 101 as noted below.

The collar 130 can be made in a wide range of styles and using a wide range of collar fabrication techniques. Typically, the collar 130 is secured to a collar band or neckband 120. The collar construction, including the collar 130 and neckband 120, can be formed with an outer ply and an integrally formed and fold over inner ply. Conventionally, an interfacing or stiffener (not shown) may be interposed between the inner ply and outer ply to give body to the collar construction. The neckband 120 can be secured to a band of the shirt body 101 at its neck opening with a border secured by parallel lines of stitching extending through the neckband and the shirt body. These bands of stitching define a pocket 105 between the neckband 120 and shirt body 101 in at least one location. As described below, this pocket 105 contains an elastic collar button. It will be understood that the pocket 105 is open along the front placket and extends a distance therefrom (in a direction away from the front placket). It will thus be appreciated that the single pocket 105 is formed at one end of the neckband 120 and the other end of the neckband 120 does not include a pocket.

As mentioned herein, within the pocket 105, an expandable collar button 300 is disposed. The expandable collar button 300 is formed of an elastic band 310 that has a first end 301 and an opposing second end 302. The elastic band 310 is sized and shaped to be disposed within the pocket 105. The first end 301 of the elastic band 310 is securely coupled to at least one portion of the shirt. For example, the first end 301 of the elastic band 310 can be securely attached to the shirt body 101 and/or to the collarband 120. The elastic band 310 is formed of any number of different elastic fabric materials, including synthetic materials, natural materials and/or a combination thereof.

Any number of different elastic materials can be used.

The elastic band 310 can be securely attached to the shirt 100 (at the first end 301) using conventional means, including but not limited to using stitches, as shown.

The second end 302 of the elastic band 310 includes a button 320 that is secured to the elastic band 310. The button 320 can be secured to the elastic band 310 (at the second end 304) using conventional means including stitching, etc.

Since the button 320 is secured to a stretchable structure, namely, the elastic band 310, the reach of the button 320 is variable in that the button 320 can be extended to different positions. For example, FIG. 1 shows the button 320 in a normal rest position in which the elastic band 310 is at a rest position and not extended (the button 320 thus lies proximate to or adjacent to the opening of the pocket 105). FIG. 2 shows the button 320 in a partially extended position in which the button 320 is extended to an intermediate position in which the button 320 is extended about 50% of the fully extended state of the elastic band 310. FIG. 3 shows the button 320 in the fully extended state in which the elastic band 310 is fully extended to allow maximum reach of the button 320.

It will be understood that the button 320 is received with a corresponding conventional button hole that is located along an opposite side of the shirt 100. The button hole is not formed in a shirt portion that is elastic but instead is formed in a traditional non-elastic cloth shirt section. Thus, as an increased collar size is needed, the user simply pulls the elastic band 310 until the button 320 is placed in registration with the button hole. The button 320 is then inserted into the button hole, thereby coupling the neckband sections and completing the buttoning process. As shirt shrinkage occurs and/or the neck size increases, the elastic band 310 is simply pulled a greater distance until the button 320 is placed in registration with and is inserted into the button hole.

In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic band 310 has an elastic portion 311 that is disposed within the pocket 105 and attached to the shirt or neckband 120 and a fabric tape portion 313 that is attached to the elastic portion 311. In the figures, a line is presented to mark the interface between the elastic portion 311 and the fabric tape portion 313. The fabric tape portion 313 is at least disposed within the pocket 105 and is at least partially exposed out of the pocket 105. The button 320 is attached to one end of the fabric tape length. In one embodiment, the elastic portion 311 has a length of about 1 inch and the fabric tape portion 313 has a length of about 2.5 inches. As shown in FIG. 3, when the elastic band 310 is fully extended, one end portion of the fabric tape portion 313 remains contained within the pocket 105. For example, ¼ inch of the fabric tape portion 313 remains inside the pocket 105 and is not visible (as indicated by the two internal vertical lines in FIG. 3 that show such hidden inner end of the fabric tape portion 313).

The elastic portion 311 and the fabric tape portion 313 can have the same width.

The button 320 is also preferably sized such that the button 320 cannot enter into the openings (entrance) of the pocket 105.

While the invention has been described in connection with certain embodiments thereof, the invention is capable of being practiced in other forms and using other materials and structures. Accordingly, the invention is defined by the recitations in the claims appended hereto and equivalents thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A shirt having an expandable collar comprising: a shirt body having a front placket; a collar attached to the shirt body; and a plurality of buttons extending along the front placket including a top button that is positioned proximate the collar; wherein the shirt body has a pocket formed proximate the collar and the top button is attached to a free first end of an expandable strip that is contained within the pocket and is fixedly attached at a second end to the shirt body within the pocket, the expandable strip being positionable between a fully retracted position in which the top button is proximate an opening of the pocket and a fully extended position in which the top button is spaced from the opening of the pocket.
 2. The shirt of claim 1, wherein the opening of the pocket is a slit formed in the shirt body.
 3. The shirt of claim 1, wherein the expandable strip comprises a first elastic section and a second fabric section.
 4. The shirt of claim 3, wherein the first elastic section is fixedly attached to the second fabric section.
 5. The shirt of claim 3, wherein the first elastic section terminates in the second end that is fixedly attached to the shirt body and the second fabric section terminates in the free first end.
 6. The shirt of claim 3, wherein the first elastic section is always contained in the pocket in both the fully retracted position and the fully extended position.
 7. The shirt of claim 3, wherein a length of the first elastic section is less than a length of the second fabric section.
 8. The shirt of claim 7, wherein the length of the second fabric section is at least twice the length of the first elastic section.
 9. The shirt of claim 3, wherein the second fabric section is formed of the same material as the shirt body.
 10. The shirt of claim 3, wherein the first elastic section comprises an elastic band.
 11. The shirt of claim 3, wherein a width of the first elastic section is at least substantially the same as a width of the second fabric section.
 12. The shirt of claim 3, wherein in the fully extended position, the second fabric section extends at least two inches from an opening of the pocket.
 13. The shirt of claim 3, wherein the first elastic section has a length of about 1 inch and the second fabric section has a length of about 2.5 inches.
 14. The shirt of claim 3, wherein in the fully extended position, at least ¼ inch of the second fabric section remains inside the pocket.
 15. A shirt comprising: a shirt body; an elongated neckband; a collar; wherein the neckband is adapted to encircle a neck of a wearer and has upper and lower edges connected to the collar and to the shirt body, respectively, and a first end and an opposing second end; wherein a first pocket is defined between the neckband and the shirt body at the first end of the neckband; and an elastic collar button including an elastic band being attached to at least one of the neckband and the shirt body, the elastic band having a button disposed at a free end thereof. 